State v. Michael

454 So. 2d 847, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 9353
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedJuly 30, 1984
DocketNo. 83-KA-800
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 454 So. 2d 847 (State v. Michael) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Michael, 454 So. 2d 847, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 9353 (La. Ct. App. 1984).

Opinion

BOWES, Judge.

David Michael was charged by a bill of information in the 24th Judicial District Court with two counts of possession of cocaine, violations of R.S. 40:967. The record reveals that originally there were at least three bills of information filed charging various combinations of the defendants involved in this case with narcotics offenses. These bills were ordered transferred to one division of court and were consolidated for trial. Since they involved a single fact situation, the District Attorney filed a single all embracive bill of informa[848]*848tion joining the matters as counts. This bill of information was numbered as 82-3822 and it is this bill and the accompanying record that has been lodged on appeal. As noted previously, the appellant is only charged in counts 1 and 2 of the combined bill.

The record does not specifically show that Michael was arraigned on either count. This, however, is of no importance since failure to conduct an arraignment does not constitute error patent. La.C.Cr.P. art. 555 provides:

Any irregularity in the arraignment, including a failure to read the indictment, is waived if the defendant pleads to the indictment without objecting thereto. A failure to arraign the defendant or the fact that he did not plead, is waived if the defendant enters upon the trial without objecting thereto, and it shall be considered as if he had pleaded not guilty.

On January 20, 1983, the trial judge consolidated for hearing the Motion for Disclosure of Name and Address of Confidential Informant, and the Motion to Suppress. At the conclusion of the evidence on January 21, 1983, the judge denied the disclosure motion and took the Motion to Suppress under advisement. On January 24, 1983, Michael returned to court and entered a plea of guilty to count one of the information. During the plea colloquy, the judge denied the Motion to Suppress previously taken under advisement.

Although a sentence of ten (10) years at hard labor and a fine of $10,000.00 had been agreed to by the defendant as a condition of the plea bargain, imposition of the sentence was deferred until May 13, 1983. On that date the trial judge committed Michael to the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of only six years at hard labor. A fine of $10,000.00 and court costs were to be paid within six months of Michael’s release from prison. Following the imposition of sentence, Michael moved for an appeal and his motion was granted.

FACTS

On the morning of July 20, 1982, Agent Devlin of the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs office, Narcotics Division, met with a confidential informant (C.I.), referred to during the suppression hearing as “Robert”, “Bobby”, or “Bobby Benedict”. The informant advised Devlin that he knew a man by the name of David who was interested in selling about five ounces of cocaine. Devlin instructed the C.I. to set up a buy. Later that day the C.I. again contacted Devlin and told him that “David” was in the parking lot of Bennigan’s Restaurant. Devlin agreed to meet the C.I. there, so that the C.I. could arrange an introduction. Devlin arrived at the parking lot at about 2:10 p.m., surreptitiously accompanied by several other agents. Devlin met with the C.I. and together they walked to the location where David’s automobile was parked. The C.I. introduced the two and then left the area. Agent Devlin made a request to see the cocaine he was to purchase and the man known as “David” removed a clear plastic bag containing a white powder from a paper bag on the front seat of his car. Devlin indicated that he had to return to his car to get the money to complete the transaction, and he moved away, gave a pre-arranged signal to the waiting agents who moved in and arrested “David” for possession of cocaine. “David” was subsequently identified as David Michael.

The agents then requested the defendant to give consent for the search of his room at the Landmark Hotel. Although the agents testified that the defendant was cooperative, the consent forms were not completed at the arrest location. Ostensibly because a thunderstorm moved into the area, the agents returned to the Narcotics Bureau a short distance away to finish the paperwork. At approximately 3:15 p.m., the consent forms were signed. By 3:45 p.m. the agents arrived at the Landmark Hotel, accompanied by the defendant. After ascertaining that Michael was the sole registered occupant of the room, the agents entered, using his key. Two persons were within, watching television. [849]*849They were frisked for weapons and immobilized during the search proceedings.

Approximately five ounces of cocaine were found on the dresser. Within an open briefcase on the table, an additional quantity of cocaine was discovered. Since it was ascertained that the briefcase belonged to Michael’s guests, they were also arrested and charged as co-defendants. Later, a search of their motel room uncovered more cocaine.

DISCUSSION

The defense filed four assignments of error in the trial record:

1. The trial court committed reversible error in denying the Defendant’s Motion to Suppress.
2. The trial court committed reversible error in denying Defendant’s Motion to Disclose the Name and Address of the Confidential Informer.
3. The trial court committed reversible error in denying Defendant’s Motion for an In Camera Examination of the Confidential Informer.
4. The trial court committed reversible error in imposing a cruel, unusual, and excessive sentence.

One additional assignment was alleged in the supplemental record lodged in this court on December 13, 1983:

The trial court committed reversible error in accepting defendant’s plea of guilty, which plea was not freely and voluntarily made.

We find the defendant has waived review of assignments of errors 1, 2, 3 and 5. Nevertheless, we have reviewed these assignments and find that they contain no merit.

The following is excerpted from the plea colloquy of the appellant on January 24, 1983:

THE COURT:

I guess I should have ruled on the Motion to Suppress. I’m going to deny the Motion to Suppress. Let the record reflect that.
Do any of the defendants intend to take any appeals from that ruling, Mr. Barnett?
MR. BARNETT:
Not on behalf of Mr. Coll, Your Honor. THE COURT:
How about Mr. Escher? [counsel for defendant, David Michael]
MR. ESCHER:
Yes, I’d like to take an appeal on the Motion to Suppress and also the motion to disclose the confidential informer. You are denying that. Do you want me to approach the Bench, Your Honor?
THE COURT:
Yes.
(Let the record reflect that Mr. Escher approaches the Bench.)
THE COURT:
Hard labor means the state penitentiary, whether they accept them at a satellite or any other form of the Department of Corrections doesn’t matter. I just want to make sure the defendants understand what hard labor is.
Let me hear again, Mr. Escher—

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Related

State v. Brown
119 So. 3d 761 (Louisiana Court of Appeal, 2013)
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Bluebook (online)
454 So. 2d 847, 1984 La. App. LEXIS 9353, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-michael-lactapp-1984.